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Recurrence‐Free Long‐Term Survival After Liver Transplantation in Patients with 18 F‐FDG Non‐Avid Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma on PET
Author(s) -
Kornberg A.,
Küpper B.,
Thrum K.,
Wilberg J.,
Sappler A.,
Gottschild D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
american journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1600-6143
pISSN - 1600-6135
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02821.x
Subject(s) - medicine , positron emission tomography , fluorodeoxyglucose , standardized uptake value , liver transplantation , transplantation , nuclear medicine , population , retrospective cohort study , gastroenterology , radiology , environmental health
The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the value of 18 F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F‐FDG‐PET) for predicting biological tumor behavior and outcome after liver transplantation (LT) in patients with otherwise unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC). Preoperative 18 F‐FDG‐PET scanning was performed in 13 patients with type IV Klatskin tumor before LT. PET+ status indicated patients with an increased pretransplant 18 F‐FDG uptake, whereas PET− recipients had no increased preoperative 18 F‐FDG uptake on PET. Pretransplant PET findings were correlated with histopathological tumor characteristics and patient outcome after LT. Eight patients demonstrated positive preoperative PET findings (61.5%), whereas five patients had no increased preoperative 18 F‐FDG tumor uptake (38.5%) on PET. One PET+ patient died after 1 month due to liver allograft dysfunction. Seven PET+ liver recipients developed tumor recurrence, whereas five PET− patients were tumor‐free alive after a median of 76 months post‐LT (p = 0.001). The 2‐year recurrence‐free survival rate after LT was 100% in PET− patients and 28.6% in the PET+ population (log‐rank = 0.008). Our results suggest that patients with 18 F‐FDG non‐avid HC on PET may achieve recurrence‐free long‐term survival after LT.